Unit for track-belts



E. H. SAVAGE.

UNIT FOR TRACK BELIS.

APPLICATION mm Mll. o. 1919.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

2 SHEEN-SHEET t.

it 10 n 1; 72 if 321 8/? a 2 120 611x01? Ml i fm cat g4" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN H. SAVAGE, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND TRACTOR COMPANY, OF EUCLID, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

UNIT FOR TRACK-BELTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

Application filed January 4, 1919. Serial No. 289,561.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. SAvAcn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Units for Track- Belts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is a unit or link which, when hinged to other similarlinks, will produce a durable and serviceable track belt for a track laying tractor. The chief advantage of the invention is that it can be made of pressed steel, wherefore it will be. stronger, cheaper, and more durable than a cast link of like weight.

The invention consists of the parts shown and described herein, combined substantially as set forth in the a ended claims.

In the drawings, igure 1 is a side clovation of two connected units or links in which the present invention is embodied; Fig. 2 is a plan vew of the two links shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of said links; Fig. 4 is a vertical transv rse sectional view of one of said links; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of two links embodying the invention but of slightly modified form; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the two links shown in Fi 5; Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse sec tiona view of one of said links in the plane of line 7-7 on Fi 6; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of one of t e links shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the link of slightly modified form as compared with that shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive.

Each link is composed of three members, via: a middle member A and two side members B, C, said members being of such shape that they may be laid side by side and secured together and thereby form a link which will have two double thick link sides extending from the front to the rear end of the link, and a ground engaging shoe which extends between said link sides and outward therefrom on both sides of the link. The middle member A of the link is in the form of a flat U, and is so formed by turning up the sides of a flat middle strip to thereby produce a flat bottom or shoe por tion 12, and two vertical longitudinally extended rails 13.

The shoe ortion 12 is rather abruptly widened at t e rear and, and consequently the rails 13 which rise from the edge of the shoe portion are farther apart at this end, but are parallel with each other. The two side members B and C of the links are alike except that they are rights and lofts; each has a vertical longitudinally extended rail 21 which is formed to fit against the outer face of the rail 13 of the middle member and to be secured thereto by rivets, spot welding and the like, thereby formlng double thick link sides as shown. The lower edge of each rail 21 is turned outward to form a shoe portion 22 which, when the rails of these three parts are connected to gcther will be in substantially the. same plane as the shoe portion 12 of the middle member. These double thick link sides at the rear of the link are carried slightly beyond the shoe portions, thereby forming cars 18. The double thick sides are likewise extended forward slightly beyond the shoe portion. and form the double thick cars 19. The distance between the ears 18 at the rear of the link is such that the double thick cars 19 at the front end of an adjacent link will fit between them, and these overlapping ears of two adjacent links may be pivoted together by any suitable means of which a variety are known in this art. Be-

tween the front and rear ears each of the members B and C has an outwardly turned horizontal flange 24 which is integral with the upper edge of the rail 21 and the top surface of this flange rises in substantially the same plane as the top surface of the rail 13 of the middle member. These flanges, together with the top surfaces of the rail 13 form broad tracks or bearing surfaces for the wheels which, in a track laying tractor, ride upon the link sides.

In the construction shown alined holes 16 are formed in the rear cars 18. Larger holes 17 are formed in the front ears 19. Sleeves or bushings 80 extend between the two link sides and are fitted to and secured in the holes 17. Pivot pins 31 extend through these sleeves and are fitted into the holes 16; and by these means adjacent links are pivoted together.

Although the bottom or shoe forming ortions 12 and 22 of the three link mem' rs are all in the same plane, this plane is preferably not horizontal when the link pivots are in the horizontal plane, but incline slightly upward from the front end of the link, the rear portion of each shoe overlying and overlapping the front shoe portion of the next link. The shoe portions of the three link members at the front ends thereof are turned downward to form the transversely extended ground engaging rib 15.

Preferably holes 10 are cut in the rail portions of the three link members, primarily for the purpose of lightening the links.

The construction shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive embody all of the characteristics of construction above described, but the rails of the three members intermediate of the front and rear ears extend obliquely from the front to the rear ears. When this construction is employed it is desirable to form horizontal inwardly extended flanges '24 along the upper edges of the rail portions 13 of the middle member.

As shown in Fig. 5 the downturned ground engaging rib 15 may be shaped in various ways; on the link at the left of Fig. 5 this rib takes the form of a. hollow transversely extended roll. In the specific construction of the link shown at the right of Fig. 5 this rib 15 is rolled around a strengthening tube 15.

In the slightly modified construction shown in Fig. 9 tongues 35 are left attached to the shoe portion 12 of the middle link member A when the holes 10 are cut therein, and these tongues are then bent outward onto the shoe portions 22 of the side members B and C and secured thereto by spot welding and the like; thereby somewhat strengthening the structure.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A track belt unit coin rising three bent steel members arranged sid d by side and corn nected together, said unit thereb having two longitudinally extended dou' le thick link sides, and a shoe which extends between and laterally out from both link sides.

2. A track belt unit comprising three bent steel members arranged side by side and connected together, said unit thereby having two longitudinally extended double thick link sides, and a shoe which extends between and laterally out from both link sides,the front end 01 said shoe being turned down to form a ground gripping rib.

3. A track bolt unit comprising three connected members and having two longitudinally extended double thick link sides, and a shoe which extends between and laterally out from both link sides,the front end of said shoe being turned down to form a ground gripping rib, and said shoe portion being inclined upward from that end at which is the ground gripping rib, whereby when the link sides of two adjacent links are pivotally connected the shoe of one link will overlie that end of the shoe of the next link at which is said downturned rib.

-l. A track belt unit comprising a middle member formed with two longitudinally extended rails and a shoe portion connecting their lower edges, and two side members each formed with a longitudinally extended rail and an outwardly extended shoe flange on its lower edge,-said three parts having their rails in contact and connected together and having the shoe portions of the three members in the same plane.

5. A track belt unit comprising a middle member formed with two longitudinally extended rails and a shoe portion connecting their lower edges, and two side members each formed with a longitudinally extended rail and an outwardly extended shoe flange on its lower edge,said three parts having their rails in contact and connected together and having the shoe portions of the three members in the same plane, which plane inclines upward from one end of the link to the other, and the shoe arts of said members having at the low en thereof a downturned ground engaging rib.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

EDWIN H. SAVAGE.

Qople: of this patent my be obtained for an cents each, by addressing the f'ooinniiasioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. l 

